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The best scheduling software for coaches in 2026
A coach's scheduler does more than take a booking: it sells the paid session, collects the intake answers before it, and keeps the recurring rhythm on the calendar. These are the three platforms we track, with prices re-checked this week: what the free plans really cover, where payments and packages live, and what the first paid month costs.
Prices last re-checked 2026-10-12. Numbers are read from each vendor's own pricing page; any exception is flagged under "What to watch".
Which one should you pick?
- Pick Acuity Scheduling if you need paid sessions and structured intake. Visit Acuity Scheduling
- Pick Calendly if you want the booking link live today. Visit Calendly
- Pick Cal.com if you want everything free to start. Visit Cal.com
Some buttons are affiliate links — how this works.
The short answer
Short answer: Best scheduling software for coaches: Acuity Scheduling Starter is $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually, for 1 calendar with unlimited appointments, payment processing and 100 SMS credits a month - the one here built for paid sessions and structured intake: clients pay at booking, and the forms and reminders run with the appointment.
| Tool | Entry price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo (no annual discount published) | 1 user, unlimited event types, unlimited bookings, calendar connections |
| Teams | $12/mo billed annually | Per user. Labeled YEARLY at $12 per user/month with a Save 25% badge. The month- |
| Organizations | $28/mo billed annually | Per user. Labeled YEARLY at $28 per user/month with a Save 25% badge. The month- |
Prices checked 2026-10-12.
Best scheduling software for coaches: Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling Starter is $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually, for 1 calendar with unlimited appointments, payment processing and 100 SMS credits a month - the one here built for paid sessions and structured intake: clients pay at booking, and the forms and reminders run with the appointment. The trade-off: there is no free plan, only a trial, coupons, gift certificates and add-ons wait until Acuity Scheduling Standard at $34/mo, or $27/mo billed annually, and custom packages and advanced reporting wait until Acuity Scheduling Premium at $61/mo, or $49/mo billed annually.
See Acuity Scheduling pricingBest scheduling software for coaches who want the booking link live today: Calendly
Calendly Free is $0/mo for 1 user with 1 event type and unlimited bookings - a clean booking link clients understand instantly, with one calendar connection. The trade-off: 1 event type means 1 kind of session until Calendly Standard at $12/mo per seat, or $10/mo per seat billed annually, which unlocks unlimited event types, multiple calendars, integrations and reminder workflows.
See Calendly pricingBest scheduling software for coaches who want everything free to start: Cal.com
Cal.com Free is $0/mo for 1 user with unlimited event types and unlimited bookings - the most scheduler at zero cost here: as many session types as you run, email and SMS notifications, 100+ app integrations, Stripe and PayPal payments at booking, and a 1-click import of Calendly events. The trade-off: team features like round-robin and routing forms wait until Cal.com Teams at $12 per user/month on the yearly card (the page does not print a month-to-month price), and removing the Cal.com branding from your booking page also waits until Teams.
See Cal.com pricingThe prices, plan by plan
Cal.com
Cal.com is free for one user. Teams is $12 per user/month and Organizations is $28 per user/month, both labeled YEARLY with a Save 25% badge. The page does not print a month-to-month price. Both paid plans say 14-day free trial. Enterprise is custom and the page says annual pricing.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo (no annual discount published) | 1 user, unlimited event types, unlimited bookings, calendar connections |
| Teams | $12/mo billed annually | Per user. Labeled YEARLY at $12 per user/month with a Save 25% badge. The month-to-month price is not printed. Round-robin, collective events, routing forms, and a 14-day free trial. |
| Organizations | $28/mo billed annually | Per user. Labeled YEARLY at $28 per user/month with a Save 25% badge. The month-to-month price is not printed. Sub-teams, SAML SSO, managed event types, and a 14-day free trial. |
What to watch: Cal.com's free tier is one user but unlimited event types, which is more generous than Calendly's free tier. On 2026-10-11 the paid cards were labeled YEARLY and carried a Save 25% badge, and the page did not print a month-to-month price, so that column says not printed. Self-hosting has no licence fee, but the server bill is yours and is not in the table.
Source: https://cal.com/pricing, read 2026-10-19.
See Cal.com pricingCalendly
Calendly Standard is $10/seat yearly ($12 monthly) and Teams is $16 ($20); Notetaker and Callie make those $18 and $24 yearly ($24 and $32). Enterprise starts at $15,000 a year, from 50 seats. The Teams card's Popular plan badge is Calendly's, not a customer count.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo (no annual discount published) | 1 user, 1 event type, 1 calendar connection, unlimited bookings |
| Standard | $12/mo, or $10/mo billed annually | Per seat. Unlimited event types and multiple calendars. The yearly card says save 17%. |
| Standard Plus | $24/mo, or $18/mo billed annually | Per seat. The Add Notetaker and Callie price. The base Standard card says Notetaker is not included. The yearly price says save 25%. |
| Teams | $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually | Per seat. Round-robin, routing, and Salesforce. The card carries Calendly's own Popular plan badge. This page does not treat that badge as a count of customers. The yearly card says save 20%. |
| Teams Plus | $32/mo, or $24/mo billed annually | Per seat. The Add Notetaker and Callie price on Teams. The page says Teams Plus adds Notetaker. The yearly price says save 25%. |
| Enterprise | custom quote | Starts at $15,000 a year and starts at 50 seats. SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and dedicated support. Not a per-seat rate. |
Prices checked 2026-10-12.
What to watch: Calendly prints the yearly per-seat rate by default. The month-to-month rates and the Notetaker prices are in the same page's plan data, which is what the billing toggle and the Add Notetaker and Callie control use. The free plan is one event type and one calendar connection. The Teams card carries Calendly's own Popular plan badge. This page does not treat that badge as a count of customers.
Source: https://calendly.com/pricing, read 2026-10-12.
See Calendly pricingAcuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is $20 a month on Starter, $34 on Standard and $61 on Premium, or $16, $27 and $49 a month billed annually, per account.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually | 1 calendar, unlimited appointments, 100 SMS credits/mo, payment processing |
| Standard | $34/mo, or $27/mo billed annually | 6 calendars, 500 SMS credits/mo, coupons, gift certificates, add-ons |
| Premium | $61/mo, or $49/mo billed annually | 36 calendars, 1,500 SMS credits/mo, custom packages, advanced reporting |
Prices checked 2026-10-12.
What to watch: Acuity prices per account rather than per seat, so a team of five pays the same as a team of one - the opposite of Calendly and Cal.com. That makes it cheaper for teams and more expensive for a solo operator.
Source: https://acuityscheduling.com/pricing, read 2026-10-12.
See Acuity Scheduling pricingQuestions people ask
What is the cheapest option here?
Cal.com is the cheapest option here to start - Cal.com Free is $0/mo for 1 user with unlimited event types and unlimited bookings, and it even accepts Stripe and PayPal payments at booking. Calendly Free is also $0/mo, but caps at 1 event type. Acuity Scheduling has no free plan; its entry is Acuity Scheduling Starter at $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually.
Which one is best for selling paid sessions and packages?
Acuity Scheduling is the paid-sessions pick - Acuity Scheduling Starter at $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually, includes payment processing and 100 SMS credits a month, and Acuity Scheduling Standard at $34/mo, or $27/mo billed annually, adds coupons, gift certificates and add-ons. Cal.com accepts Stripe and PayPal payments at booking even on its Free plan at $0/mo.
Do any of these have a free plan?
Two of them do - Cal.com Free at $0/mo with unlimited event types and unlimited bookings, and Calendly Free at $0/mo with 1 event type and unlimited bookings. Acuity Scheduling is paid only, starting at Acuity Scheduling Starter for $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually.
What will the first paid month cost?
Calendly Standard is $12/mo per seat, or $10/mo per seat billed annually, and Cal.com Teams is $12 per user/month on the yearly card (the page does not print a month-to-month price). Acuity Scheduling Starter is $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually.
Which one is fastest to set up for a coach with one session type?
Calendly is the fastest - Calendly Free at $0/mo gives one booking link with unlimited bookings and calendar connections, and clients understand the page instantly. Cal.com Free at $0/mo sets up just as fast and does not cap your event types.
Can a coach run scheduling for under $20 a month?
Yes - Cal.com Free at $0/mo covers unlimited event types, and Calendly Free at $0/mo covers one session type. At the first paid tier, Calendly Standard at $12/mo per seat, or $10/mo per seat billed annually, fits under $20. Acuity Scheduling Starter is $20 a month, or $16 a month billed annually, so only the yearly rate is under $20.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not accept payment for placement, and the price tables are generated from the same dataset we re-check weekly. Full disclosure. How we check prices.